MONTREAL - I was eating dinner at a winemaker’s house in Provence, and when it came time to dress the salad, I asked her where she kept the vinegar. She told me that there was none in her house as it was bad for wine.

“So what do you make as a salad dressing?” I asked.

“Just olive oil,” was her reply. Hmmm. So we ate her olive oil-laced lettuce salad and I must admit that it lacked that familiar zip that one gets from a classic vinaigrette. Why was she so weirded out by vinegar? Well, for a winemaker, acetic acid, which is what makes vinegar taste sour, is a major-league wine fault. It’s what is referred to as volatile acidity, and while many wines, even “great” wines, may have very small amounts of this, it scares the bejesus out of most winemakers.

The problem is that if you drink a wine alongside too much vinegar, it can make a perfectly good wine taste sour. This is not to say that you can’t drink wine at the same time as vinegar but have you ever wondered why many restaurants will serve the salad course separate from the other courses? It’s so that the vinaigrette won’t spoil your wine.

So does this mean that we should avoid drinking wine with salads and other vegetables? Not at all. But there are ways to make the pairing easier on the wine. First, if you are serving a non-vinegary dressing, there is obviously no problem.

But I love vinaigrettes, so when I make them, I always go light on the vinegar, often using half the amount that would normally be required. There are ways compensate so that you can still have that “zing” that vinegar brings to your recipe. One is to use a lower-acid vinegar such as rice-wine vinegar. Balsamic vinegar may seem like it is lower in acid than most vinegars, but it is its sweetness that hides the acidity, so I would still use it sparingly.

The best option is to replace your acetic acid with an acid that is already found in wines: citric acid. A squeeze or two of a lemon or lime will go a long way toward making your wine-pairing a salad success.

One of the cardinal rules in food and wine pairing is that you need more acidity in your glass than on your plate. If not, your wine risks tasting dull and flat. And herein lies the other difficulty when dealing with acid-based dressings: Most wines, especially reds, are not acidic enough to handle even the mellowest vinaigrette.

But there are a lot of wines out there that do have the necessary acidity to handle the job. Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, vinho verde, Muscadet, sparkling wines and most rosés are a few with enough acid to hold up against any acid attack. If you are using a mayonnaise or other creamier dressing, you have more wine options and can go with a less-acidic wine.

After that, it is really a question of matching up complementary flavours and textures. Do you use seafood or cheese, which can add richness and fat to the recipe? Are there capers, olives or other salty items that will help mitigate the souring effect of your sauce?

(A word about a few seasonal problem vegetables: asparagus, fiddleheads and artichokes.

When I used to work as a sommelier, these three vegetables made me quake. They are true wine killers as they have an incredible capacity to make your wine taste herbal, green and bitter. I have found that grilling asparagus and artichokes helps in bringing out some sweetness, which helps counteract the bitterness they bring to the table. But the two wines that have rarely failed me both tend to show a combination of fruit with a herbal edge – sauvignon blanc and dry riesling.)

Here are a few main-course, classic salad and vegetable dishes, with the main ingredients, and some suggestions about which style of wine to choose:

Niçoise salad

Olives, canned tuna, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, green beans. Canned tuna can be quite flavourful, so no need to go too delicate here. I have had success with pink, white and red here, as long as they are not overly acidic, or too massive and rich. So a medium-bodied white, like a Spanish

albariño is a good suggestion. Most light, grenache-based wines from southern France can work as well.

Cold pasta salad with salmon

Pasta, salmon, onion, mayonnaise. Whenever I see salmon, I see red. I like using dill as my herb of choice in this salad, so a light red with a herbal touch is perfect. Think gamay as a grape, so Beaujolais, a light cabernet franc from the Loire, or, if you want something a little bigger, a New World pinot noir.

Caesar salad with grilled chicken

Romaine, grilled chicken, Parmesan. Creamy dressing, spice that comes from the pepper and a little bit of richness from the chicken. If you are a fan of oakier chardonnays, bring them out here.

Seafood salad (ceviche)

Shrimp, mussels, scallops, lime or lemon, coriander. Fresh and herbal. The citrus component is what controls this, so you really need to make sure that you have enough acid in your wine. Depending on what you use as fish or seafood, you might need a richer wine. So if its just “lean” stuff like Matane shrimp and white fish – go Muscadet or a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. If it’s richer, go white Bordeaux or Sancerre.

Greek salad

Tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta cheese. red onion, parsley. Green and lemony with that sharp bite of the feta. While most high-acid whites will work, this is the perfect opportunity to try a Greek wine. So look to Santorini, and a wine made with assyrtiko.

Waldorf salad

Celery, apples, walnuts, mayonnaise. The bitterness of the nuts and the richness of the mayonnaise demands a slightly richer wine that has some oxidation. So you can go with chardonnay here. Not too oaky as you don’t want all that caramel. My best ever pairing was with a savagnin from the Jura.

Tomato salad (caprese)

Tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, basil. So with or without the mozzarella, tomatoes are pink/red, usually, so I go for colour matching on this one: rosé – which is a nice match for the acidity, too. The wine goes even better with a slight vegetal note, so think Provence here. In red, a simple Barbera can work, and in white, sauvignon blanc or semillon.

This week’s suggestions: wine to go with a light meal

Want a fancier wine for a light lunch or dinner? Here are a few great choices:

Pessac-Léognan 2008, Château de Rochemorin, France white, $24.95, SAQ # 743013. White Bordeaux is the forgotten sauvignon blanc – riper than Sancerre, more floral than the characteristic green notes of New Zealand, subtle notes of pink grapefruit that verge on mango and more exotic fruits as it warms. Very particular mineral note, almost a grey rockiness. But such elegance and finesse. Serve at 8C. Drink now-2014. Food pairing idea: apéritif, ceviche with scallops.

Pinot noir 2009, Carneros, Buena Vista, California red, $27.95, SAQ # 11651669. Delicious pinot. This is not the creamy, overly rich pinot noir, rather it is a model of finesse and accessibility. Chalky minerality and tight tannins give the wine some drive and hold all the fruit together. Easy-drinking but with depth and complexity. Serve at 16C. Drink now-2014. Food pairing idea: apéritif, cold pasta salad with salmon.

Vin Mousseux 2008, Tasmania, Josef Chromy, Australia sparkling, $29.30, SAQ # 11638448. For the price – beautiful. Very finessed bubbles, a blend of apples and limes, slightly doughy. Textbook classic Champagne-style, but for half the price. If I were to get really, really critical, I would like it even drier. But this is a deal. Serve at 6-8 C. Drink now-2013. Food pairing idea: apéritif, Caesar salad with grilled chicken.

Riesling 2010, Kabinett, Dry, Hölle, Rheingau, Künstler, Germany white, $30, SAQ # 11607596. Typical Rheingau, less mineral than Mosel and more accented on the tropical fruit. Will get even better with some cellar time – just try to keep this without drinking it. Serve at 6-10C. Drink now-2018. Food pairing idea: apéritif, asparagus.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.